DISCOVERIES / CYNDI Y. NIGHTENGALE

INSIDE & OUT : Croquet, Anyone?

Croquet is the inspiration for the newest collection by Pulaski Furniture of Virginia, which is known for its turn-of-the-century pieces.

Introduced to the market last month in North Carolina, the collection, which has more than 100 pieces, was created by Pulaski designer Leonard Eisen, who wanted to highlight England's famed West Sussex Club.

The croquet collection has a casual tone and uses several materials--wicker, glass, metal, wood and ceramics--so it works well with a variety of decors.

"The collection is a fantasy of casual lifestyle and elegant furniture from a gentler past for today's living," said Pulaski President John Wampler.

Among the more notable pieces in the collection, which will be in stores in the fall, are the kitchen room divider, the croquet chest and the tack chest.

The kitchen room divider ($3,405 for both pieces, but they can be purchased separately) has a butcher block top in the base section. Four drawers in the base and six glass doors in the deck open from either side of the unit.

The croquet chest ($930), made of wood, has hand-painted artwork with forest-green accents and wooden knobs.

The tack chest ($1,350), a re-creation of a chest used by the U.S. polo team, is outfitted with Pentoflex hardware, so it can be used as a filing cabinet, making it a good choice for home offices and libraries.

Pillow Talk

Pillows aren't just for fluffing or tossing around the room for accents anymore. Now, they look good and pamper you too.

The Rejuvenating Eye Pillow by Tender Loving Things in Oakland and the linen and cotton pillows by Dream Co. are scented and filled with herbs, which are supposed to relax and calm you.

The Rejuvenating Eye Pillow ($10), made of silk and scented with lavender and mint, is filled with natural flax seeds and available in a variety of colors.

Dream Co.'s cylinder neck rolls ($50 to $70), made of Pima cotton, have machine-washable covers and are available in six herbs--lavender, cedar, hops, deer's tongue and oak moss--blended in a buckwheat hull base to offer soothing, pliable support when you're relaxing. The covers are available in six fabrics, including linen, damask and muslin. The pillows are 14 inches long and 5 inches wide.

The Rejuvenating Eye Pillow is available at Bath and Body Works in Costa Mesa and JCPenney stores or by calling (800) 486-2896. The Dream Co. pillows can be purchased at MIXT, 1722 S. Catalina Ave. in Redondo Beach, or by calling (212) 366-7214.

Nose Relief

When it comes to removing pet stains and odors, who couldn't use a little help? Nature's Miracle, a product devised by Joe Weiss of Rolling Hills Estates, uses enzymes to get rid of such pesky "organic debris." The enzymes cause stains to liquefy, making them easy to wipe up. Tough odors eventually dissipate.

"There's really no secret formula," said Weiss, who worked with a chemist on the product after a cat urinated on the carpet.

Nature's Miracle (two sizes, about $6 and $8) is available in pet stores throughout the county.

Pets aren't the only ones making messes. Babies do their share too.

After the birth of her son, Weiss' daughter came up with a product just for children's messes. Mother's Little Miracle stain and odor remover and pre-wash (about $4.50 and $8) help to remove stains from clothes and carpet. Absorb-a-mess (about $8) turns liquid messes into dry particles that can be vacuumed up.

Mother's Little Miracle products are available in baby boutiques throughout the county, Linen 'N Things and the Burlington Coat Factory.